To be a Nineteen Year Old Parent
by TheSeriousBard
Summary: "Mama." When Yata Misaki heard those words from the mysterious child's lips, she could not even begin to comprehend what sort of future lied ahead of her. What shocks the crow even more so is to whom the child calls out "Papa" to. Saru x Fem-Misaki; AU; OC; Romance – A lot more fluff than I normally write, but it still has dark themes at times.
1. A Lily of the Valley

**To be a Nineteen Year Old Parent**

"Mama." When Yata Misaki heard those words from the mysterious child's lips, she could not even begin to comprehend what sort of future lied ahead of her. What shocks the crow even more so is to whom the child calls out "Papa" to. Saru x Fem-Misaki; AU; OC; Romance – A lot more fluff than I normally write, but it still has dark themes at times.

**Rated T:** for language, violence, suggestive themes

**Disclaimer:** GoRa/GoHands own all the K Project babies

**Note:** I have done a quick grammar/spelling check, but I'll need to do it again to finalize it.

* * *

**A Lily of the Valley**

"God fucking dammit! Why couldn't I beat that stupid final level? I must have blown at least 3000 yen trying!" the vanguard of HOMRA said as she charged out of the game center. "Ahhhh, I don't think I'm going to have enough for dinner tonight. Kanamoto, lend me some cash."

With an exasperated sigh, the blond man beside the crow replied, "Yata-san, why do you keep blowing all your money on stuff like this? You always have trouble paying your rent or even buying food 'cause you spent it thoughtlessly."

"Haaaa? Are you trying to lecture me? I should kick your ass!" snapped Misaki.

"Yata-san...You're never going to grow up to be a responsible adult if you continue to remain childish like this…How are you even going to raise kids in the future?" Kanamoto shook his head in disapproval.

Feeling the surge of annoyance shoot through her mind, the chestnut-haired girl gave a swooping kick to the portly man's back and put him in a headlock from behind. "Kanamoto! I dare you to say that again! Why the fuck are you talking about kids in the first place? Who the fuck cares about that shit! I hate brats anyway!"

Tapping on the girl's arm to show that he surrendered, the tanned man tried desperately to wiggle out of the choke hold. Despite the girl only being 167 cm and a complete lightweight, Misaki was unusually strong and could beat the snot out of even the toughest of mafia thugs in Shizume City. The random citizens who were witnessing this event began to back away in terror of the angry, small vanguard. Before the two knew it, there was a large, empty area surrounding Rikio and Misaki—as no one wanted to be caught up in the wrath of the crow.

Yata was so focused on all her rage, she didn't notice a small child approach her, until she felt a tiny hand grasp onto her sweater sleeve. Glancing over to her side, the amber-eyed girl noted a young girl—no more than six years of age, standing beside her, still firmly gripping onto her clothes. The child had her face looking straight to the ground, avoiding eye contact with the older girl beside her. Instantly calming down, the confused vanguard turned toward the dark-haired girl and asked, "Uhhhh…can I help you?"

"Mama."

The chestnut-haired girl's eyes opened wide. She must have misheard something. "Huh? What did you just say, kid?"

Finally looking up into the crow's eyes, the child pointed at Misaki and said quietly, "Mama."

Gasping out in surprise, the child proceeded to hug her small body against the vanguard's leg tightly. The child's face was like a carbon copy of Yata's. She had the same amber-colored eyes, face shape, and pale skin. Unable to speak coherently at this point, Yata immediately released Kanamoto and began to sputter out words. "W-w-w-what!? I don't…you…who are…you got…wrong…can't be…KID YOU GOT THE WRONG PERSON! LET GO!"

Attempting to pry the small arms from her leg, the child refused to budge, holding onto the older girl as if her life depended on it. Although the chestnut-haired girl was a violent, boorish kind of person, she would never do anything such as harming a child. Bullying of any kind was against her policy, and attacking those who were weaker than her with no justification wasn't allowed. Turning to the blond man beside her, Misaki began to plead. "Oi Kanamoto…what the fuck am I supposed to do here? This kid is obviously off her rocker and got me mixed up with someone else!"

Rikio himself was in a state of shock. "Yata-san…whatever the case is…with the exception of her hair, she looks exactly like you. Did you secretly have a kid without saying anything to us?"

Feeling the heat of anger rise within her cheeks, Misaki promptly began to shout back, "What the fuck is wrong with you!? Of course I didn't fucking have a child! I haven't even had s-s-s-s…"

The red-hot anger had transformed into embarrassment when she tried to speak the three-letter word. Unable to do so, the vanguard mumbled out the rest of her sentence before continuing on. "Oi, kid! I'm not your mom. You got me mixed up with someone else! There's no possible way that you could be mine, okay?"

Not saying a single word, the child began to tear up, as she then buried her face into the crow's shorts, still refusing to lessen her clutch. Through the muffled sounds of a quiet voice speaking through cloth, the child managed to choke out "Mama" again in the midst of her sobs.

With a sigh, Rikio began to scratch the back of his head and said, "Well…first things first. We might as well head back to HOMRA and see if Kusanagi-san can help us try to locate this kid's parents."

Hobbling with the child firmly attached to her leg, the crow headed back to the Red clan's home base.

* * *

"Ehhhhh, Yata! You lied to us about being a virgin and had a kid already!? Who's the father?" Yoh Chitose asked. "…Oh wait. Oh god. I didn't get drunk and sleep with you and impregnate you did I? OH GOD, I'M NOT THE FATHER, AM I?"

Elbowing the brunette clansman right at the solar plexus, Misaki angrily shouted, "SHUT UP, YOU STUPID IDIOT! THIS BRAT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT MINE! I CAME BACK HERE TO SEE IF KUSANAGI-SAN COULD HELP ME FIND HER MOTHER, SO I CAN FINALLY GET RID OF HER!"

"Why didn't you just bring the kid to the police station?" Akagi Shouhei asked the little vanguard.

Misaki flinched at the words. A couple days prior, the crow had gotten into a huge fight with some delinquents, who were harassing a couple of high school girl nearby one of her part-time jobs. One of the punks decided to insult her height and then made a wisecrack about her flat-chestedness. Ultimately, the chestnut-haired girl grabbed the man by the collar and hurled him into the air…unfortunately crash landing right onto a nearby police officer. Wanting to lay low for the week, Yata realized that she probably shouldn't be going anywhere near the area.

"Shut up! As if I could leave this brat in the hands of those government dogs."

Picking up the child from the ground, Misaki rested the girl's weight on her hips as she held her. Fujishima Kousuke—lover of stray animals, approached the amber-eyed child with a gentle smile. "Wow, she really looks just like you, Yata. What's her name?"

"I have no clue. She hasn't said more than one word since she attached herself onto me."

Kousuke placed his hand on the child's head and patted it. The girl immediately began to blush and and she buried her face against the crow's neck. Her tiny fingers grasped onto Misaki's shoulders, feeling shy and timid around the group of men surrounding her.

"Unlike you Chihuahua, she looks like she's well-mannered and reserved," Eric Sutr said in jest.

"Shut up! Anyway, where is Kusanagi-san?"

"He went out with Anna and Mikoto to do some errands. They should be back any minute," replied Dewa Masaomi.

No sooner than Dewa said those words, than the front door of HOMRA swung open.

"Hey guys, we're back with s—" The blond bartender stopped speaking as soon as he saw the tiny, dark-haired girl in the crow's arms.

"…Who is the kid?" asked Izumo, unable to see the face of the child, who was still nuzzled against Misaki's skin.

"That's what I fucking want to know, Kusanagi-san. This kid came out of nowhere earlier and grabbed onto me. She kept calling me "Mama" and wouldn't let go. I have no fucking clue why she keeps doing it, but her real mom never came around to look for the brat. I was wondering if you could somehow help me find who or where her parents are."

Suddenly, Kushina Anna left the Red King's side and approached Misaki. Normally silent and emotionless, the strain felt an unusual aura being emitted from the child in the vanguard's arms. Focusing her vision through one of her red marbles, Anna searched deep within the child's spectrum, looking for answers.

Opening her eyes wide, the silver-haired girl turned towards Yata and whispered, "She is your child, Misaki."

Feeling her chest become extremely tight, the amber-eyed girl staggered a bit, looking at the child nestled in her arms. "…How…How the fuck can this be possible!? I'm still a vir…VIR…virgin. Unless the mother-fucking stork actually exists in this world, there's no way this could have happened," Yata sputtered.

"…Strain…This child is a strain." As a fellow strain, she felt some sort of strange connection with the girl, yet it was difficult to pinpoint what exactly the Dresden Slate gave her for abilities.

"Haaa!? So could it just be that she's manipulating all of our minds with some freaky strain power, making us think that she's my kid!?"

The ruby-eyed girl shook her head. "Even if a strain can deceive others, I would be able to see beyond the lies or false imagery through my marble."

"Uhhh…this might sound a bit far-fetched…but could this brat possibly have come from a different time period? Maybe your kid in the future is a strain that can leap through time." Rikio tried hard to think of a reason, in order to calm the crow's nerves a bit.

Looking down at the amber-eyed child in her arms, Misaki said, "Oi, kid. Tell me the truth. Did you cross time or something to come find me? Or are you trying to manipulate us? Give me a reason already. Stop hiding like a little brat and say something."

Unfortunately, the vanguard of HOMRA didn't exactly have the top-level of training when it came to handling children. Strange enough, despite the crow's harsh way of speaking—which would normally frighten a child, the dark-haired girl didn't seem to be perturbed at all. Grabbing onto the vanguard's face with her tiny hands, the child looked straight into Yata's eyes and said, "Save. Suzuran will save."


	2. Oyakodon

**Oyakodon**

* * *

After a long, tiring morning, the child could no longer stay awake. Napping on one of the spare couches in HOMRA, the rest of the Red clansmen huddled together to talk about the mysterious girl that had claimed to be the crow's child.

"So, besides us knowing that her name is Suzuran, and that she's supposedly come to 'save' something or someone, we're drawing a blank here," Izumo said, furrowing his brow.

"I don't get it though. Even if she is my kid from the future, why did she choose to come back to this time period to do whatever the fuck she needs to do?"

"Hrmmm…maybe something significant is going to happen within the next few days? Maybe your life is endangered or something," Bandou said.

"Uhh…if I were to die in the next couple of days, how the fuck would I end up having a kid in the future?"

"…Right."

"Hey everyone, aren't we forgetting the most important thing here?" Chitose said with a serious expression on his face.

Misaki flinched and replied, "W-What is it?"

"…Who in the hell would be brave enough to impregnate our little virgin vanguard!? Kanamoto, was it you? Are you the daddy of the child!?"

Turning bright red, Rikio could barely spit out the words from his mouth. "WHAT!? No way…I could never…Yata-san and I are not like that!"

A light bulb suddenly turned on in Yoh's mind. "…It couldn't have been Mikoto-san, could it!? He's the only guy who could probably tame a spitfire like Yata! Oh my god!"

The Red clansmen all turned toward the man, who still was sleeping soundly on his usual couch.

Cheeks becoming the same rogue color as Kanamoto's, the chestnut-haired girl shouted out, "Whaaa? W-w-what the f-f-f-fuck are you s-s-s-saying!?"

Suddenly, a fist crashed down on top of Chitose's head. "Could you please stop saying things without any factual evidence here? There's no reason to continue this speculation game. Let's just focus on the important things right now."

Turning to the amber-eyed clansman, the blond bartender said, "Yata-chan. I'm going to give you a grocery list of things we need to take care of the kid. Go buy them and bring them back here."

"Wait, what? We're going to take care of the brat ourselves?"

"No Yata-chan. YOU'RE going to take care of Suzuran yourself. She's your kid—well, going to be your kid, after all."

"B-b-but I don't know the first thing about taking care of children!" whined the little crow.

"Don't worry. It's not like we won't be here to help you out. But you need to take responsibility over this, until we find out what the child is really here to do." Scribbling down a long list of items, HOMRA's second-in-command handed the piece of paper to the flabbergasted vanguard. "Here. Go now."

The amber-eyed girl moved as if her legs were made of gelatin, stumbling her way towards the exit. However, when she reached the door, a soft cry alerted her.

"Mama…wait for Suzu. Suzuran will come too!" The child crawled down from her resting place and quickly held the hand of Yata.

With a soft sigh, Misaki turned toward her fellow clansmen and gave a nod. "Well, I'm off! I'll be back in a bit."

* * *

"Hmmm…onions, chicken, carrots, peas, ketchup, milk, bread…okay. That seems to be the last things we needed to get," the Red clansman said to the child beside her. "Let's pay for these and head back to HOMRA, Suzu."

The petite crow had a hard time juggling the heavy bags, along with holding onto Suzuran's hand. She could barely see in front of her, as the groceries were covering most of her view. Walking straight into a tall man in front of her, Yata bonked her nose in the process. "Oww…hey. Sorry about that."

"…Misaki? Is that you?" a familiar voice said beyond the piles of groceries.

Eyes opened wide, the chestnut-haired girl immediately dropped her bags onto the ground in horror. Staring up at the man in adorned in Scepter 4's attire, Yata shouted out, "AHHH, SARU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"Hmmm, shouldn't I be asking you the same thing, Mi-Sa-Kiiii? What are you doing? Doing slave work for your worthless clan members?"

"Shut up! It doesn't seem like you're doing anything besides wasting government tax money right now!" the vanguard shot back.

Before he continued on, Fushimi noticed a small child cowering behind Yata. Her face was buried into the cloth of her short again. "Haa? Who's the brat, Misaki? Don't tell me you guys wound up taking in another stray child."

"Shut the fuck up! It's none of your god damned business!"

Crouching down to eye-level of Suzuran, the Scepter 4 officer said flatly, "Oi, kid. Stop hiding and show yourself already."

The small girl flinched when she heard that voice. It was a voice she knew too well. Slowly pulling her face away from the fabric, her small amber eyes focused on the Blue clansman's face. Suddenly, the girl flung her arms around Saruhiko's neck and squealed out, "Papa!"

Fushimi was beyond confused at this point. Feeling the tiny lips kissing his cheek, in a moment of weakness, the man fell back onto his bottom, as the child clung affectionately onto the Blue's uniform jacket. "...What the…"

Yata was equally just as shocked—if not horrified. "Haaaa? Suzuran…did you just say p-p-p-p…pa-pa?"

"Yup! Suzu loves Papa very much!" she replied happily.

Finally regaining some control over himself, Saruhiko pulled the child from his body and stared at her. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The child had a carbon-copy image of the crow's face—amber eyes and all. Yet…when he looked at the girl's hair…it was undeniably the same exact color as his.

Realizing this as well, Misaki felt her knees give out, slumping onto the ground. "No way…no FUCKING way! Why didn't I notice this before?...This kid's hair…is the same color as Saru's."

* * *

The Red and Blue clansmen had no choice but to head back to HOMRA together. Girl and grocery bags in tow, it was already dark by the time they had stepped foot into the bar.

"You're late, what took you so long Yata-ch—"

Kusanagi stopped speaking when he saw the betrayer of HOMRA standing by the door. Gasping out in surprise, the Red clansmen all stared at the duo.

"What the…why is that traitor here?" shouted Bandou, jumping into battle stance.

"Yata-san? Saru? Huh!?" Kanamoto was surprised to see the vanguard standing calmly beside the man whom she would normally be arguing with.

The yelling continued from the mouths of the various Red clansmen until Misaki finally couldn't keep silent anymore. "SHUT UP ALREADY GUYS! JUST CALM THE FUCK DOWN AND LET ME EXPLAIN!"

"Before you say anything, Yata-chan, where is Suzuran?" asked HOMRA's second-in-command.

"She's here," the Scepter 4 officer said flatly, obviously annoyed by the threatening stares of his ex-clansmen.

Opening his jacket, the Red clansmen saw the child nestled comfortably in the warmth of Saruhiko's uniform. Several of the clansmen's mouths dropped wide open when they saw the two together. Being side-by-side, it was undeniable that Fushimi and Suzu both had the same hair color.

"Whoa…I donn't even know where to begin with this one…" muttered Yoh under his breath.

Clicking his tongue, the amber-eyed girl said, "Ugh…where am I even going to begin with this one? Alright. When I was leaving the grocery store…"

Giving a play-by-play of the events that happened earlier, the group was unsure of what to say afterwards—well at least anything that was appropriate for the situation at least.

"Man Yata…so in the end, you and Fushimi bang and then you get knocked up? And here I always thought you two hated each other," Dewa exclaimed.

"…Disgusting." Eric just stared blankly at Yata.

"It better not be the case that you force Yata-san to do anything against her will. We will not let that kind of shit slide," Saburota growled. "There will be hell to pay, you twisted bastard."

Smacking Bandou on the back of his head, Izumo began to scold him and the other Red clansmen. "Think about it before you run your mouth. Do you really think the kid would be so happily clinging to Saru if he did something like that?" The clansmen all focused their eyes on Suzu, who was giggling while she played with the buttons of Fushimi's jacket.

Putting out his cigarette, the blond bartender sighed out and said, "Well, at least for now, are you guys hungry?"

"I'm starving!" exclaimed Misaki. She hadn't been able to sit down and eat since the child had appeared.

"And how about you Suzu-chan?"

Turning to Kusanagi, the girl began to blush and nodded shyly. When the Red's second-in-command smiled at the child, she quickly buried her face under Saruhiko's coat.

"I've gotta wonder…who in the hell did that kid get that sweet, quiet personality from? It definitely couldn't have been from you two—especially not Yata," Chitose remarked with a grin.

"Haaa!? Do you want to die, you bastard?"

Calling out from the kitchen, Izumo shouted, "Hey, no fighting! Yata-chan, come into the kitchen and bring the groceries. I'll need help making dinner for everyone!"

"Ahh, okay Kusanagi-san."

Watching the chestnut-haired girl scurry and disappear into the kitchen, Fushimi felt the uncomfortable atmosphere amongst his ex-clansmen. Although they were not speaking words of hostility, it was obvious that they did not appreciate having the traitor of HOMRA standing around in their home base. Breaking the silence, however, was the voice of a certain golden-eyed man.

"Fushimi. Why don't you take a seat?"

Feeling his heart beat faster, the Blue clansman glanced at none other than the Red King. "Mikoto-sa—…Suoh Mikoto." Fushimi corrected himself before he finished addressing the Red King as he used to.

Yawning loudly, the man stared blankly at the blue-eyed man, until he sat back against his usual couch, falling asleep soon after. Anna, who was right behind Mikoto, gazed at the Blue and said, "Saruhiko, come sit down…with Suzuran…"

Not wanting to stir anything up at this point, Fushimi walked over to an empty chair and sat down. Surprisingly, the silver-haired strain walked over to the Scepter 4 officer and stared at the bundle under Fushimi's uniform jacket. Being a strain herself, Suzuran could sense Anna's presence and her focused eyes, thus the blue-haired girl peeked her head out. With one of her red marbles, the red-eyed girl focused her energy at the child, as if she were searching for something hidden away.

After a few minutes, Kushina exhaled deeply and looked straight into the Blue's eyes. "I can see that you are feeling uneasy, Saruhiko, but I can say for sure that Suzuran is yours as well."

The Blue was a bit startled. It had been a long time since he heard one of Anna's mind analyses. He didn't even realize she was looking into his thoughts as well. Hesitating at first, Fushimi reluctantly spoke and asked, "…Anna. Do you know why this kid is here though?"

Shaking her head, the girl in the Lolita outfit replied, "The only things I can see within her mind is the word 'save.' She has a very strong desire within her, but it is too cloudy for me to see."

Looking down at the amber-eyed child in his arms, Fushimi said softly, "Why are you here?"

With tiny hands quivering, the girl stood up on the Blue's lap and held onto both sides of Saruhiko's face. "Save. Suzuran will save Mama and Papa."

Feeling his palms get sweaty, Saruhiko continued to question. "Why? Does something happen to us?"

Before the girl could say another word, there was a shout coming from the kitchen.

"Oiiiiii, food's done!" Yata hollered, carrying the various bowls and plates of food into the main bar area.

Suzu climbed down off of the monkey and ran over to one of the stools, sadly attempting to climb up onto one. Seeing the little child looking so helpless, Fujishima was quick to assist the girl, sitting her down on one of the bright red cushions.

"Are you comfortable, Suzu-chan?" asked Kousuke.

With a small nod, the girl whispered, "Thank you, onii-chan."

"Oi, Papa Saru, you should hurry up and join us too," Kusanagi said with a smirk.

The Blue clansman scowled. "What kind of stupid name is that, Kusanagi-san?" he said bitterly, while sitting down on the stool beside the child.

"Ha-ha~ I think it's actually a pretty good name. I've decided to call Yata-chan, 'Mama Misa' from now on too."

Having already started eating, Yata was completely caught off guard upon hearing those words. Feeling the food get stuck in her throat, she began to cough violently. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Saruhiko quickly grabbed one of the glasses of water off the table and shoved it to the crow's lips. "Here, you idiot. Drink."

After chugging down the liquid, Misaki's face was bright red. "Haaaaaaaa? Isn't there a better way of saying that, you Shitty Monkey!?"

"Oh. Let me say it differently then. Here. Drink this water, you single-celled, brainless, idiot."

"…You bastard…" the crow said through clenched teeth. Her crimson aura began to leak out around her, as her anger level rose. "Do you want to die?"

Before the two broke out in fight, they each felt a tiny hand cover over their mouths. "Mama. Papa. No fighting."

"Pffft…HAHAHAHA! YOU'RE BEING LECTURED BY YOUR OWN KID, YATA-SAN!" Kanamoto roared out.

The rest of the Red clansmen also joined in on the laughter, while the two stood there—bright red as a tomato.

"Alright, alright. Settle down, and let's eat before the food gets cold." Kusanagi, being the most motherly out of all the clansmen, was always the first to nag and scold.

Sitting back down on his stool, Saruhiko's mind was completely filled with confused thoughts. "Can this really be true? Misaki and I actually have this kid sometime in the future?...Misaki will barely even look at me, let alone want to sleep with me. The only thing we ever do nowadays is fight and argue… Is this brat really who she says she is? What the fuck happens that is so bad that a child would think to go back into the past to do something?...Now that I think about it, how the fuck is the kid smart enough to do something like this?"

The Blue had a smirk appear across his face, as he stared at his beloved. "Definitely must have inherited my brains. There's no way the girl would be this intelligent and calm if she were to take after Misaki."

Feeling a chill run down her spine, the vanguard of HOMRA darted her gaze at the blue-haired man, who was staring at her. "Saru, why are you looking at me with that idiotic expression of yours? You're creeping me the fuck out."

"What? I couldn't help but notice how stupid your face looks. I was thinking how good it is that you at least mix up your DNA with someone else when you have kids. The world would be doomed if there were nothing but replications of you, Mi-Sa-Ki~"

The Red clansmen all cringed. They all secretly had hoped that having their child in the room would make the two mature. Unfortunately, the two were still fighting like cats and dogs.

"Suzu-chan, I noticed you're not eating or drinking much," Kusanagi said loudly, trying to interrupt the arguing duo.

Looking down at her plates, the blond man noticed she hadn't touched her glass of milk, and she barely picked at some of the egg on her plate.

"…So, Suzu-chan. Do you not drink milk OR eat any vegetables?" Izumo asked the girl.

The blue-haired child nodded.

Unable to hold back her anger any longer, Yata began to scream at the Scepter 4 officer beside her. "Oi, you Shitty Monkey! It is going to be all your fault if this brat grows up to be all lanky and sickly-looking like you! She picked up your terrible food-eating habits!"

"Haaa? What the fuck are you saying, Misaki? If our kid ends up becoming a midget, it will be because you taught her to hate milk!"

"HAAA? UNLIKE YOU, I'VE GROWN UP AND ACTUALLY STARTED TO DRINK MILK ALREADY!"

"WELL, IT MUST BE IN YOUR DNA OR SOMETHING, YOU SINGLE-CELLED IDIOT!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I SERIOUSLY CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE THAT I BIRTHED YOUR CHILD IN THE FUTURE. DID YOU FUCKING DRUG ME AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME, YOU SICK BASTARD?"

"HOW WOULD I FUCKING KNOW, YOU IDIOT. IT'S IN THE FUTU—"

Suzuran's small hands grabbed tightly onto the arguing duo's clothes and gave a firm tug. Immediately ceasing the yelling wars, the two looked down at the girl.

"…Suzu…will…eat her vegetables…and drink her milk." Without saying another word, the child reached for the cup of milk, taking slow sips.

Kusanagi let out a loud sigh. "Come on guys, even your kid is acting more grown-up and civil about this. Can you two please calm down and stop with the fighting already? And stop cursing in front of the child. You're being a horrible influence."

Fushimi and Yata both sat quietly and ate without speaking another word to each other. It was strange to see the three sitting together. Despite being united by the child between them, to both the monkey and the crow, they might as well be strangers.


	3. First Family Outing

**First Family Outing**

* * *

"So, besides trying to figure out what the kid is doing here, you two need to take her out and buy her new clothes. You can't expect Suzu to wear the same thing every day. And no Yata-chan. You can't just dress her up in one of your t-shirts either," said Kusanagi.

He continued on. "You should also take the girl out and do some fun things. No, I don't mean taking her to the arcade."

When Misaki had the duty of taking Anna out for the day, she ended up bringing the silver-haired girl to the play the bloodiest, most gruesome games that a young child should definitely NOT be playing.

"Ugh…like what exactly? Like go to the park, get a stick, and toss it to her to fetch for me?"

"…Mama Misa. She is your daughter, not a dog."

"UGH, WHATEVER THEN. I'LL LET THE STUPID MONKEY DECIDE WHEN HE GETS HERE!"

Fushimi went back to Scepter 4 last night after they ate dinner. He had to explain to his superior officers—or at least make up an excuse, as to why he can't perform his duties for the next couple of days. Although unwilling and annoyed, Lieutenant Awashima eventually gave him permission.

Suzuran stayed with Misaki at her apartment for the night. Having no other clothes, the vanguard simply dressed the child in one of her old t-shirts, which of course still dragged onto the ground and sagged off her shoulder.

"Tch, this is all so troublesome. Anyway, now that Saru is here, we're off."

Before they closed the door, they could hear Izumo shouting out, "Remember to be mature and NOT fight!"

There was one word that explained the current situation better than anything else: awkward. It had been so long since Misaki and Saruhiko actually were on friendly terms with each other. Especially since they were at one another's throats last night, silence seemed to be the best option for the moment.

Though, this is Yata Misaki. Silence wasn't really an option for her. "So… where are we going?"

"Hmmm? We might as well start at the shopping district. There's always a department store or something we can search in. "

"..Right."

Not another word was said until they arrived to Shizume City's busy shopping area. The three went into the largest, most popular department store within the district and soon arrived at the children's clothing section. The piles and racks filled with seemingly endless amounts of clothes overwhelmed the Red and Blue clansmen.

"Uhhhhhh…So which one do we choose?" the vanguard asked timidly.

"Fuck if I know. Just get anything."

Walking straight toward one of the piles, Yata began to pick up a few pair of pants and shirts, until she felt a large hand grab her wrist.

"Misaki, NO. We are NOT going to have our kid dress like you. Suzuran is a girl, NOT some gender-confused transvestite."

"Haaaaaaaaa? Shut the hell up! You're the one that told me to just get anything! These look comfortable! Shouldn't that be enough?"

Groaning out in frustration, Saruhiko scanned the area until he found a few different pieces. "Alright. Let's all go to the dressing room. Misaki, help her try these on."

Standing outside of the curtain, Fushimi could hear the two chatting away inside the dressing room. Suddenly, he heard the girls gasp out in surprise.

"What is it? Is something wrong? Come out."

Sliding open the curtain, the Blue clansman saw the most adorable thing before him. Suzuran was now wearing one of the dresses that the Scepter 4 officer had chosen earlier. The dress was pink with white, mini-kitten paws stamped around the bottom of the dress. The skirt portion ruffled out and had a pink tail coming off the back side. The top had a white ribbon tied around the front and a hoodie with kitten ears attached. Complete with white stockings and a pair of Mary Jane shoes, the entire set fit the blue-haired girl perfectly.

"Suzu, you are too cute right now!" Misaki said, while blushing a color matching the child's dress.

"Really!? Papa, how does Suzuran look?" the little girl asked.

Kneeling down to eye-level, Fushimi replied, "You look absolutely adorable, Suzu."

The blue-haired man could feel his icy-cold heart begin to melt, as he met his daughter's eyes. It was strange. He had never liked children before—if anything, he thought them to be loud, messy, and annoying. Yet somehow, he could feel love and affection for the child in front of him.

Jumping a bit in surprise, Saruhiko felt a hand grab firmly onto his. "I got to hand it to you, Saru! You really know how to pick 'em! Look at how happy Suzuran is right now."

Seeing his Misaki's genuinely blissful face brought him to his limit. Yanking the girl down onto her knees, she yelled out, "Oi, Saru! What do you think you're d—"

Two thin, but strong arms wrapped around the two beside him. The embrace was warm and gentle. "S-S-Saru? Are you alright?"

"Papa?"

Suppressing tears from slipping from his eyes, the man took in a deep breath and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just felt a little light-headed, that's all. Go try on the rest of your clothes, Suzu. I'll be sitting by the cashier register until you're ready."

Pressing a small hand onto the Blue's forehead, the amber-eyed child said, "Papa is okay? Not sick?"

Taking the small hand into his, Fushimi showed a kind expression on his face. "Papa is fine. Be a good girl now and try on the other ones."

"Okay!"

Before Misaki joined the child in the dressing room, she said, "You sure you okay, Saru? You're kinda looking sweaty and pale right now."

"Don't worry about it. I just need to sit for a bit."

"Mmm, okay. Well, if you don't feel good, let me know. I don't want to drag you around if you're going to pass out on me."

Dragging himself over to one of the sofas, Fushimi threw himself upon it. He was perplexed as to these new emotions that were growing within him. He had experienced love before, as in the case of his beloved Misaki. Yet this new love felt completely different. The blue-eyed man couldn't explain it. It just felt strange, but comforting at the same time. He could feel the joy surging through his body. "I don't get it. Why am I so happy about this? I'm being dragged around to do errands with a brat and a single-celled idiot."

But there was nothing else he wanted to do more right then. Saruhiko was lost in his thoughts until the two girls were done. The three had decided that they were going to keep Suzuran in the first kitten dress she wore for the day. When they went to pay, the Scepter 4 officer instantly swiped his card before the crow could even protest.

Fushimi could then hear a stomach growl. "Papa, Suzu is hungry."

"Let's go get something to eat then. Is there anything you want in particular right now?"

"Hmm…Suzuran wants a crepe! A chocolate one with strawberries!" she said excitedly.

"Haha, figures my kid would end up liking crepes too. Nice choice Suzu! Let's go to our favorite crepe stand by the park then!" Misaki said with a laugh.

Grabbing onto both of her parent's hands, the three walked down the street linked together.

"Oh my, what a young couple. The mother doesn't look like she's older than sixteen! She must have had that child as soon as she hit puberty!" said a random citizen on the street.

"My goodness. What is the world coming to today?" replied the woman beside her.

Irked and ready for a scream-fest, the Red clansman stopped dead in her tracks. Foreseeing this already, Fushimi grabbed onto Yata's free hand and whispered, "Calm down and just ignore them, Misaki. We shouldn't fight anymore and make Suzu sad right now. Look at how happy she is."

Releasing her tension, the crow clicked her tongue and replied, "Fine, I got it."

Once they arrived to the crepe stand, the blue-haired child's eyes began to light up.

"Suzu, you can watch them make your crepe here. Do you want to watch?" the vanguard asked.

"Really!? I do!" squealed the child.

Although Suzuran was sweet and endearing when she was shy and quiet, she was also enchanting and loveable while she was vibrant and…well—childlike. Holding her daughter in her arms, Suzu watched in absolute delight.

"All done, here you go, young miss!" the crepe maker said, handing it to amber-eyed child.

"Thank you, mister," Suzuran said with a bow.

"Oh my, what a polite child. Just for that, I'll give you that crepe as a service item!"

"Wow, did you hear that Suzu? He said he's giving it to you for free! Make sure you thank the kind person again," Fushimi said with a smile.

"Okay! Thank you again, mister!"

The family unit moved over to the chairs and tables to eat their crepes. The warm breeze flew playfully between the locks of their hair. It was a perfect, cloudless, sunny day. It felt as if nothing could go wrong…

"Fushimi. What are you doing here, just sitting around? I thought you said you had an urgent matter to deal with, and yet I find you here sitting in the park and eating crepes? With an enemy clansman, no less?" a familiar voice said harshly.

"Geh, it's the Heartless Woman," Misaki thought, eyeing Awashima Seri.

"This is the urgent matter I'm attending to," Saruhiko replied curtly.

"Don't joke around. Fushimi, I want you to head back to Scepter 4 right now and—"

"Papa? Something wrong?"

"Huh? Papa?" the blonde lieutenant of Scepter 4 said.

Shifting her gaze, Seri saw a small child, who was now hugging onto Saruhiko's neck from behind. From a quick look, the girl could not be older than six. She had remarkably similar features to the vanguard of HOMRA, yet her hair color was…

"Oh my god, you have a child, Fushimi? How shameless!"

Planting his head into his palm, the third-in-command groaned out. Now he would have to explain everything to his superior, which he seriously did not want to do. He knew Awashima would ask a million questions, doubt everything he said, and assume there was some other hidden motive behind every word.

After about twenty full minutes of explaining, Scepter 4's lieutenant finally accepted the blue-eyed man's explanation. "You will need to give a full report once you address and solve this issue. Remember, I will be expecting you to take on overtime assignments in the future to compensate for your time lost, got it?"

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi then replied, "Got it."

Now receiving official approval for his time off, stomachs full and content, the three went off to search for things to do. Hours went by, and the three found themselves laughing and smiling the whole time. Besides the occasional bickering, Fushimi and Yata didn't get into a full-blown fight, which was also an extremely unusual occurrence.

Despite all the past arguing and bad air between the two, it was as if nothing bad had every happened. The three were truly united like a family unit—one that was held together by love, warmth, and happiness.


	4. A Moonlit Euphoria

**A Moonlit Euphoria versus a Daytime Melancholy**

* * *

Completely exhausted, the Blue clansman let out an exasperated sigh, while he stared off at the ceiling. The lights were off, and nothing but the moon's bright glow filled the small area around Saruhiko. All of the Red clansmen had either gone home, or went upstairs to sleep by this point, thus HOMRA was filled with nothing but the soft breathing of the two amber-eyed girls sleeping.

With the crow's head napping soundly on his lap and Suzuran curled up in his arms, every inch of Fushimi's body ached. He suddenly graduated from a young man to old, married father status within these past couple days, and his sore muscles were proof of it all. "Who knew it would end up being so exhausting…I figured it would be troublesome to have a family…but this is just beyond what I would have ever expected," the blue-eyed man thought.

"Tired?" a voice said beside him.

Eyes opening wide, Saruhiko brought his face back down and stared at the Red King, who was holding a bottle of water in front of him. "Mikoto-san…" he said quietly.

Hesitant at first, the Scepter 4 officer took the water from the crimson-haired man, and thought, "What does this guy want with me?"

Plopping himself down on a chair nearby the Blue clansman, the two sat in silence for a few minutes. The blue-haired man usually could analyze and read other people well, but Suoh had always been enigma to the man. Saruhiko always felt awkward around him, unsure of how to interact with the golden-eyed man. Especially nowadays, considering the monkey had betrayed the Red clan.

"Umm, I—"

"Fushimi, have you noticed it yet?"

"Eh?" As much as the blue-eyed man wanted to ask Mikoto what he meant, he knew he would never do so due to his stubborn pride. Flashbacks of their amusement park trip appeared in the Blue's mind. It was the same situation back then. Suoh had asked him the same question, and he refused to inquire further of the meaning behind Suoh's words.

And then, they struck a bulls-eye in Fushimi's heart. Looking down, he saw the two sleeping so peacefully against him. Despite all of the fighting, the aching, and the exhaustion, he didn't regret a single second of this whole experience. It strangely filled an empty void within the Blue clansman. Since he never had a close, warm, and loving family when he grew up, the Scepter 4 officer never really got to experience moments such like this.

Even though Saruhiko's personality was rough around the edges and unbearable to most people, Suzuran seemed to accept unconditionally, no matter how he acted. Misaki was similar as well—at least during their middle school days. No matter how abrupt he was with his words, which usually reflected his anti-social, gloomy, and spiteful attitude, the chestnut-haired girl always accepted it. She would greet him with that same, beautifully radiant smile every morning. The Blue blushed, while he happily stroked his fingers through vanguard's hair.

He was taken aback for a second when he heard a quiet whisper escape from the girl's lips.

"…Saru…you idiot…" she mumbled out, with a smile on her face. Yata quickly buried her face closer to the blue-haired man's abdomen, returning to her slumber.

Fushimi began to chuckle a bit. No matter what, whether it was awake or in her dreams, Misaki was always the same. Completely forgetting that the Red King was there with him, Saruhiko snapped out of his euphoric trance when he heard him speak.

"Fushimi. Use the spare bedroom upstairs. The bed should be big enough to fit you three on it."

Without even waiting for the Scepter 4 officer to respond, Suoh scooped up the sleeping crow from the couch and began to carry her up the stairs. Careful to not wake the child against his chest, Saruhiko stood up slowly and followed the crimson-haired man. Arriving to the room, he saw that Yata was already laying on one side of the bed.

"I'll be down the hall if you need me," Mikoto said before disappearing into the darkness.

Placing the child on the middle of the bed, Fushimi stood back up and took a moment to stare at the sleeping girls below him. The blue-haired man could feel his chest become tight. "Is it bad to want this to be reality?" he thought. "There would be nothing more I would want in life than if this all were to become true in the future. The three of us as a real family."

Leaning back down, Saruhiko gently kissed the two amber-eyed girls on the forehead. Tiptoeing to the other side of the bed, the Blue crawled in beside Suzuran. He quickly removed his coat and placed his glasses onto the small bedside table. Wrapping an arm around Misaki and the child, Fushimi breathed out a sigh of happiness before he too drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Yata nearly jumped a mile when she shook off her sleepy daze. She was shocked to wake up and find that the monkey had slept over for the night. It had been years since the two last shared a bed, and it felt odd to find the normally guarded man looking so defenseless and calm in his sleep.

Realizing that she had been staring at the Blue's face for at least five minutes straight, the girl blushed furiously, crawling out of bed. Leaving Saruhiko and Suzuran to stay asleep a while longer, the chestnut-haired girl tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen to start breakfast.

"Morning, Mama Misa! I trust that you slept well last night?" Kusanagi asked in between sips of his coffee.

"Morning! Yup I was out like a light last night. Sheesh, who would have known that raising a child could be so exhausting. I think every muscle in my body is sore from all the running around I did yesterday…It's not a bad feeling though. I can't really place my finger on it, but somehow it feels…"

"Satisfying?" Izumo smiled at the little vanguard, who was now frying eggs on the stove.

"Hmmm…yeah, I guess you can call it that!"

"Yata-chan, you look very happy this morning. Seeing a smile on your face definitely suits you the best."

Blushing a soft pink color, Misaki nodded and continued to cook the rest of breakfast without saying another word. Walking down the stairs with Suzuran in his arms, about a half hour later Fushimi noticed the smell of miso soup and grilled fish coming from the kitchen. Peeking his head in, the Blue clansman saw the chestnut-haired girl setting up the small plates, while cheerfully humming a tune.

"…Mama?" the child said, rubbing her tired eyes.

Looking up, a gentle smile appeared on the crow's face. "Ah, you guys are finally awake. Go sit at the table, and I'll bring breakfast over."

"Okay!"

The blue-eye man blushed at the endearing scene before him. After a night of sleeping together, the Scepter 4 officer woke up to find his beloved cooking breakfast happily for him and their daughter. It was like a dream come true. One that he desperately wished more than anything else to never wake up from.

As the three sat and ate breakfast, Yata asked the two blue-haired persons with her, "Sooo…what are our plans for today? Suzu, is there anything you want to do?"

For some peculiar reason, the blue-haired girl had a melancholic expression on her face with those words. Her eyes appeared as if she were hiding something.

"Is something wrong Suzu?" asked the Scepter 4 officer.

The child shook her head. After about a minute of silence, the girl whispered, "...Himawari Koen."

"Heeee, they still have that place in the future? I haven't gone there in such a long time!" said the crow.

The Sunflower Park was actually a large area within one of the malls of Shizume City. There were a large jungle gym and obstacle course play area for kids. They also had a merry-go-round and other small rides.

"Alright, let's go after we're done eating and washing up!"

The Blue continued to watch the child beside him. "Why does she have that look on her face? Is something going to happen today?" he thought. "Maybe it has to do with the reason as to why she's here…"

Regardless, the blue-haired man would tread with caution today.

* * *

"Oiiiiii Saru!" Yata called out, waving her hand from the merry-go-round.

Standing beside her daughter, who was sitting on one of the painted horses, the two continued to wave at the man watching them from the bench beside them the merry-go-round. Spending the entire day together again, the Blue had begun to relax, as nothing significant had happened all morning and afternoon. "It must have just been my imagination," he said to himself.

Quickly snapping a picture of the two riding by, Saruhiko smiled at the image on his PDA. It was really like having a family. The man wanted to cherish these moments, holding them dearly in his heart.

"Papa!" Suzu called out, running towards the Scepter 4 officer after getting off the ride.

No sooner than the three re-united, than a loud explosion came from the area just south of them. Through the smoky haze, they could hear the piercing sounds of guns firing into the air. Loud cries and screams of terror filled the mall, as a group of masked men appeared before them.

"Shut the fuck up and get to the floor if you don't want to get hurt!" one of the men shouted.

The barrel of his gun began to point at various shoppers, whose faces were streaked with tears. Saruhiko immediately grabbed onto the two beside him and dragged them behind one of the stone water fountains nearby.

"Oi, Saru! Who the fuck are these guys?" whispered the vanguard of HOMRA.

"I am not a 100% sure, but based on those strange masks, I'm guessing it's the Death's Reign group that has been under Scepter 4's radar for the past month. Though they were an unknown gang for a while, they have been getting extremely aggressive with their methods in order to instill as much fear into Shizume City's citizens.

Rumor has it, they are led by two strains—both brothers, who have dangerous abilities. In our database, it is recorded that the older of the two has the ability to cause things to explode with contact to his palm—whether it be building, object, or even a person. The younger has the ability to manipulate gravity to anything in close proximity to his body—he can lift up things into the air, or even bring down the force and crush you to death."

"What the hell…how can people like this even exist…" mumbled the vanguard.

"Dear citizens of Shizume City! We are the Death's Reign! If you don't wish to be sentenced to a brutal and horrible death, you would be wise to comply with all of our demands. But importantly, what we want is not just your money, but also we want your fear. We are strong, powerful, and will not hesitate to destroy all of you if you do not listen to us. Be afraid of us! Respect our authority!" the tallest of the men announced.

"Alright, everyone give us your money, including all of the stores within the area! If you try to do anything funny, we have our men watching you and will not hesitate to blow your fucking brains out!" another one shouted, cocking his pistols.

Although the smartest thing to do would be comply and wait for Scepter 4 to mobilize and come to the scene, Yata Misaki was the last kind of person to sit still and wait to be rescued. "Oi, Saru. Watch Suzuran for me."

Reading the chestnut-haired girl's thoughts immediately, Fushimi yanked the girl back towards the ground. "Misaki, what the fuck is going on in that single-celled brain of yours?" Blindly attacking a bunch of armed men in the midst of all these people is only going to end poorly, you idiot!" hissed the Blue. "Look at how scared Suzu i—"

Looking down at the child, the two were surprised to see their daughter being so calm in all of this. It was as if she was expecting such a thing to happen. "…Suzu?"

"Mama. Papa. No moving. Quiet," Suzuran whispered.

"Huh? What? Why?" asked the confused crow.

"See Misaki? Even our kid is telling you to shut up and stop squirming. So seriously, don't move until I can think of a plan. I'm guessing Scepter 4 should be sending the team over any minute now," Fushimi replied.

"Haaaa!? Are you telling me then to sit here and wait for the fucking Blues to come and save me? Fuck that shit! I'm Yatagarasu, vanguard of the Red clan! I would never let myself be saved by your shitty-ass clansmen!" Misaki shouted, forgetting to keep it to a dull roar.

"HEY YOU! WHY ARE YOU TALKING WHEN WE SAID TO KEEP QUIET! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?" one of the lackeys said, grabbing the chestnut-haired girl by the shirt collar.

Releasing her crimson aura, Yata gave a deadly stare. "Oi, you fucking piece of shit. Let go of me unless you want me to beat the living hell out of you, you bastard."

Fushimi face palmed after seeing that all the attention had been drawn onto them. "God fucking dammit, Misaki. Why do you have to be such an obnoxious idiot?"

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME, BRAT! I'LL FUCKING BLOW YOUR BRAINS—AHHHHHHH!" the masked man shouted, feeling the metal of his gun burn his skin.

Misaki's flames engulfed the man soon after, and in a blaze of fury, the Red clansman grabbed the man by his belt and flung him face first into a trash can.

Seeing this, the older of the strain brothers shouted out, "What the fuck? Someone from the Red clan?"

"The name is Yatagarasu. You punks have been fucking around way too long. I'm going to kick your sorry asses now to oblivion."

"Are you fucking serious? Hey bro, get over here! Some Red clansman has an early death wish!"

Without hesitation, the amber-eyed girl approached the man, preparing herself for battle. Taking the initiative, the older strain lunged at Misaki. Inches from his grasp, the girl stealthily dodged. The man's palm skimmed the marble of the fountain, causing it to explode.

Saruhiko quickly covered the small child beside him as the debris and smoke flew around the circumference. Water began to pour and cover the ground. Being attuned to the Red's power of fire, the water would only lead to a disadvantage for the crow. "Tch, now I can only aim for his upper body," she thought in annoyance.

She decided to be the one to strike first this time around. Leaping onto one of the tables, Yata jumped high into the air and formed a giant, fuchsia flame around her body. Nimbly avoiding the man's grasp, the chestnut-haired girl placed her hands upon the man's mask and disintegrated it.

The man screamed out in pain—his face now completely exposed. Suzuran shivered in fear when she saw it. It was just so full of malice.

"You fucking brat. You're going to pay for this," snarled the man, splashing his face with water.

"Haaaaa, I'd like to see you try fucker!"

Just as the little vanguard spoke these words, she felt some sort of heavy force slam her body to the ground, drenching her body with the cool water. "Owwww, what the fuck!?

Standing beside her was the younger brother of Death's Reign. "Stop thinking so highly of yourself, girly. You really don't know who you're messing with."

The man knelt down and put his hand between the girl's thighs. "Should the two of us teach you a lesson?" His lips formed into a twisted grin.

"Y-y-you bastard!"

Suddenly the younger man felt a boot land a hard blow to his cheek.

"Arghhh!" he yelped out, being flung at least ten feet away from Misaki.

Feeling the gravity hold no longer, the amber-eyed girl stood up. "Saru?"

Glaring at the two strains, the Scepter 4 officer stated in a threatening voice, "Touch her again, and I'll show you worthless pieces of garbage no mercy."

The older man gave out a sinister laugh. "Bring it on then, you fucking brats."

Seeing the four get into combat, Suzuran could feel the overwhelming fear take over her. She knew she had to do something…yet she felt too hopeless and scared to do anything at that moment. That unmasked man. It was a face she knew too well. He had the same laugh and the face, wicked look that haunted her dreams every night.

However, the child snapped out of her frightened state when she saw the younger brother uproot and lift the remaining portion of the fountain from the ground. There was a stare down between the strain brothers and Saruhiko and Misaki. The man was ready to drop it upon the Red and Blue clansman, while the other was ready to grab ahold of the two's flesh.

It appeared that the child knew exactly what would happen in the aftermath of this final fight. Seeing the two strains charging towards her parents, Suzuran felt a surge of determination flow through her, chasing out all of the fear she had earlier. She knew what she had to do, and she would follow through…no matter what would happen.

"Suzuran…will…save."

Gasping out in surprise, Fushimi and Yata could only watch in horror as they saw the small child use all her strength to charge and grip the younger brother's legs together. Unable to stop, the man tripped over the blue-haired girl. Losing his focus, the large water fountain above him began to fly down straight at the two brothers below. The older of the two triggered his power, ready to blast away the fountain before it fell on the two, but due to the slippery water, the man lost his balance in attempt to stop, and his palm touched the wall.

Causing a huge explosion, the concrete began to collapse and collapsed upon the three strains, in addition to the marble fountain. Seeing Suzuran still at the two strain's feet, Misaki screamed out, "SUZUUUUUUU!"

Suddenly, like a bullet penetrating their skulls, Saruhiko and Misaki's minds were overtaken. As if they were an outsider standing in and observing a series of movie clips spliced together, Suzuran's time-leaping memories were all engrained within the scenes. The crow and the monkey could see some brief clips of their adult selves—maybe ten or so years into the future.

* * *

_The first scene took place in a living room. "Wow, I can't believe that our very own daughter is a strain! Anna took a look into the girl's mind and saw that she has the ability to time travel!"_

"_Figures the two of us would have an unusual kid as well," Fushimi said with a chuckle._

"_Now Suzu! Don't do anything reckless and use your power. You could cause a lot of trouble if you do!" Misaki said to the child._

"_Why, Mama? Papa?"_

_Kneeling down beside the blue-haired child, Saruhiko said gently, "Suzu, do you like how things are now? Are you happy?"_

"_Yes! Suzuran is very happy! She has Mama and Papa!"_

_Embracing the little girl in his arms, the blue-eyed man continued on. "Well, if you like how everything is now, we need to keep everything the same way as it happened. If you go back in time and play around, you could make it so none of what we have right now exists. You need to promise me that you will only use your ability if you are in danger, okay Suzu?"_

"_Yeeessss, Papa!"_

"_Haaa? Do you really think a six year old is going to understand what the hell you are talking about, Saru? I barely even can follow your thinking patterns."_

_Saruhiko smirked. "Well, thankfully, our precious daughter has inherited my brains. I don't have to worry about taking care of two single-celled idiots. Isn't that right Suzu?"_

"_Yeessss!"_

"_OI, ARE YOU TWO GANGING UP ON ME? SORRY FOR BEING AN IDIOT, OKAY!?" _

_The three then began to laugh out, sitting in a warm group hug._

_—_

_The scene quickly faded and moved on. The next clip simply showed Misaki opening a letter with the words, "We're coming for you" written on the paper. Dropping the piece of paper onto the ground, Suzuran stared at it, unknowing of the meaning behind the letter._

_—_

_The next scene showed Saruhiko and Misaki discussing something within a dim-lit kitchen. Unaware that Suzuran was awake, the child hid behind the wall, listening in on her parent's conversation._

"_So you're saying that those two strains from the Death's Reign have escaped from the strain facility? How is that even possible!?" cried out the crow._

"_You know how dangerous their powers are. The older one has the ability to make things explode on contact with his palm, and the younger has the ability to manipulate gravity within a few meters of his body. It was amazing that we were able to arrest those two in the first place with so few casualties. You yourself were hospitalized the day we caught those bastards," Fushimi replied. _

"…_I know…but it scares me to know that they already have found out where we live, and that they'd be holding a grudge for all those years they were locked away. Not so much scared for myself…but I'd rather die than to see something happen to you or Suzuran!"_

_Pulling the chestnut-haired girl into his arms, Fushimi said sternly, "Shut up and don't ever say something like you'd die. No one is going to die here. We'll all be fine. I'll protect you and Suzuran. We'll be ready for those scum any time."_

"…_Saruhiko…"_

_—_

_The scene began to change again, and the two then found themselves standing beside a burning home. Soon, they were sucked inside the home and brought into a bedroom. They could hear Suzuran sobbing and crying out, "Mama! Papa!" over and over again. Looking down onto the ground, the Red and Blue clansmen both gasped, as they saw their lifeless bodies lying in a pool of blood. _

"_Hey brat. No matter how much you cry, your parents are never going to come back. They both got a one-way ticket to Hell, courtesy of me and my brother," the taller man said with a sinister grin._

_Pushing the crow's face over to his direction with his shoe, the man laughed out and said, "Payback is a bitch, huh?"_

_Hearing the man sent shivers down the amber-eyed child's spine. She was beyond terrified at this point. The man's face had been seared into her mind, and she would never forget such a horrible man for the rest of her life. He was the man that barged into her family's simple, but happy life. He was the one to kill her parents, torch her home, and leave her with nothing but bad memories. _

_Whether the man felt pity (which was highly implausible), or he wanted Misaki and Saruhiko to writhe in agony in their graves knowing the trauma their child would have to deal with for the rest of her existence, the man grabbed onto the small child and threw her out onto the street before disappearing off into the night. _

_—_

_The scene changed again, this time focusing on a funeral being held for the two. Both the Red and Blue clansmen had joined together, mourning the loss of their fellow clansmen. Although tears were raining down almost as heavy as the stormy clouds outside, Suzuran stood in front of both of her parent's portraits without a tear in her eye. She simply looked like a lifeless doll—no emotion, no tears…not even a sound uttered from her lips. _

_Suddenly, the blue-haired child recalled her father's words. "You need to promise me that you will only use your ability if you are in danger, okay Suzu?"_

_Although it wasn't her that was in danger, the girl could only think of the horrifying image of her dead parents that haunted her dreams. Suzuran clenched her tiny fist and looked straight into the eyes of her mother and father's portraits._

"_Mama. Papa. Suzuran will save," she said with determination._

"_Suzu-chan? What did you—" Kusanagi suddenly gasped out in surprise as the girl disappeared before his eyes._

_The girl only had a few words firmly engraved in her mind, while being pulled through the time dimensions: Mama. Papa. Save. Death's Reign. _

_It was as if some sort of higher being had guided her to this specific time period. Waking up in an alleyway, Suzuran looked toward the main street and saw she was in the shopping district of Shizume City. The question was, how would she find her parents?_

"_Kanamoto! I dare you to say that again! Why the fuck are you talking about kids in the first place? Who the fuck cares about that shit! I hate brats anyway!"_

_The blue-haired girl's ears perked up upon hearing the sound of her mother's voice. Running out into the crowded sidewalk, she could feel the joy fill her heart when she saw the familiar chestnut-colored hair in front of her._

_—_

_The following clips were almost too unbearable to watch for Fushimi and Yata. Apparently, this visit to the two wasn't her first. A series of scenes revealed the many attempts and failures of the girl. She would always return back to the same exact time to try again, but nothing done was significant enough to change the fate of her parents in the future. _

_There were situations where Yata completely blew off the child, as was the case with Fushimi. Other times, they would get to this point, but it would either end with Misaki or Saruhiko being hurt or on the verge of being killed. Even if she completely avoided Himawari Koen, or even stepping a foot outside of HOMRA that day, the three were ultimately fated to meet the Death's Reign group. It was inescapable. _

_The duo felt their hearts ache, seeing their daughter re-living these horrible scenes over and over again. It was something no child should ever have to see or experience. Especially knowing that Suzu was doing it for their sakes, the tears burned as they trailed down their faces._

_The child was persistent though—a quality inherited from both her parents. She was determined to save the two. Before they knew it, Fushimi and Yata were brought up to present day, re-watching the scene that had just occurred within the past half-hour. _

_It was as if the blue-haired child had an epiphany. She knew what she had to do, and the girl did it without any regret._

* * *

Although the flashbacks through Suzuran's mind seemed like hours, in real time, it was merely seconds. Snapping out of their sorrowful daze, the cloud of smoke from the debris finally dissipated around them.

"SUZU!" the two shouted in unison.

Saruhiko and Misaki were ready to jump onto the pile of rubble in attempts to find their child. They could only fear the worst, as the thick, crimson blood from the crushed bodies mixed in with the water on the ground. Desperately overturning the concrete, they continued to call out the blue-haired girl's name, until…

"Mama! Papa!"

Fushimi and Yata immediately turned to their beloved daughter, who somehow was standing beside them, completely unscathed.

"What the… you're safe!?"

"Before things fall on Suzuran, somehow all stopped," she said bewildered.

"…Do you think she means that she somehow stopped time!?" Fushimi asked. "It must have been her first time, considering she doesn't seem to know how it had happened. Some sort of emotion must have triggered it inadvertently."

"Well, I don't fucking care why it happened. I'm just glad it did happen! Suzu, come here! I want to hold you!"

"So do I," Fushimi said, proud of his little girl.

Giving a sweet smile to her mother and father in front of her, Suzuran hugged tightly onto them. Suddenly, a bright glow was emitted from her tiny body.

"What the fuck…Oi! What the hell is happening!?" shouted the frightened crow.

The blue-haired girl's body was beginning to fade, as little particles of light were floating away from her form.

"What the…is this also her strain ability? Is she going to go back to her own time now that she's done what she needed to do?" asked Misaki with tears spilling from her eyes. "Oi, Saru! Give me a fucking explanation!"

Fushimi could feel his chest grow tight, realizing the most possible outcome of this situation. "No…by altering the course of time, she must have changed the future. By doing what she did…by changing the past…she is no longer going to exist, since all of the future circumstances are changing…"

Saruhiko couldn't hold back his own tears, seeing his daughter slowly disappearing. In the end, the girl had sacrificed herself in order to save whatever horrible future the two were supposed to have—even if it were to end with her existence being removed from the world.

A loving smile appeared on the child's lips. "Mama. Papa. Suzuran always loves you. Be happy for Suzu." Those were her last words before the final wisps of her figure faded before them.

Fushimi and Yata could do nothing more than hold each other, sobbing miserably. Their beautiful, loving, and one of a kind daughter succeeded in altering their lives in order for them to live a happy future. No matter how much pain and suffering she went through, Suzuran still persisted on until she did what she wanted to do—save her parents. Yet, the two were powerless to do anything to help her themselves. The only thing they had left was this memory of this child—and the two would never forget it for the rest of their lives.

It was engraved into their hearts and minds.

**END**

* * *

**OMAKE – Where the Future Lies**

"You're doing good Fushimi-san! Just push one more time!" the labor and delivery doctor called out to the chestnut-haired girl in front of him.

"Ahhhhhh, fuuuuuuck!" Misaki screamed out, giving one final push.

Not a moment later, the cries of an infant could be heard throughout the hospital room.

"Congratulations, Fushimi couple. It's a girl!" said the doctor, wrapping the child in a warm blanket.

After cutting the umbilical cord, the child was placed in the tired mother's arms. Staring lovingly at the little bundle against her skin, the crow panted out, "Saru…look! She ended up having your hair color."

Leaning over to kiss his amber-eyed wife lying in the bed beside him, he gazed with affection at the two. "She's beautiful, Misaki. Just like you."

Yata blushed upon hearing those words.

"Not to bother you too much, but has the Fushimi couple decided on a name for your child?" asked one of the nurses.

Remembering the amber-eyed child from the past, the two immediately looked into each other's eyes and grinned.

"Suzuran. Her name will be Fushimi Suzuran."

**OMAKE END**


End file.
